Method of making dehydrators



Nov. 17, 1953 J. D. BALDWIN, JR., ET AL 2,659,128

MET oooooooooooooooooooo RS INVENTORS. JOHN D.BALDW|N JR-AND OHN E.5Z|TAR.

NOV. 17, 1953 BALDWlN, JR ET L 2,659,128

METHOD OF MAKING DEHYDRATORS Filed Jan. 21, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. JOH N D. BALDWI N, JR.,AND JOHN BY E. 52 lTA R.

Patented Nov. 17, 1953 UNITED STATE-S PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING DEHYDRATORS John D. Baldwin, Jr., Highland Heights, and John E. Szitar, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignors to The Weatherhead Company, Cleveland; Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 21, 1950, Serial No. 139,944

3 Claims. (01. 29-1482) This invention relates to dehydrators and methods of making the same. Dehydrators are now sold in the trade, particularly for use in refrigeration installations wherein a dehydrating agent such as silica gel is permanently mounted in a container, preferably between screens, the opposed ends of the container being formed for connection in the refrigeration lines.

A principal object of the invention resides in a reduction of manufacturing costs of such units, this being an important feature because in many installations the units are replaced and the old ones discarded from time to time.

Another object of the invention resides in a method of obtaining a firm packing of the dehydrating material between the screens without increasing manufacturing costs. This is accomplished by a novel operation wherein the final spinning or necking-down of one end of the container serves to move a screen mounted in the necked-down zone toward an opposed screen and firmly pack the dehydrating material between the screens.

The manner in which these and other objects are accomplished will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred em bodiment of our invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a tube going to form the container; V

Fig. 2 shows the first spinning or neckingdown operation;

Fig. 3 shows the first screen pressed in place within the container;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the screen;

Fig. 5 shows the dehydrating material and the second screen in place; and

Fig. 6 shows the final spinning or neckingdown operation and simultaneous packing of the dehydrating material.

Referring to the drawings, we prefer to form the body of the container from a suitable cylindrical or tubular element ID, or at least the end portions of the container which are to be spun or neck-down are to be cylindrical. As seen in Fig. 2, a neck II is formed on the container by a spinning tool [2 which may be formed in accordance with the invention of Harold A. White, Serial No. 135,903, filed December 30, 1949; The tool has a concave wall l3 for reducing the end portion of the cylinder and a pilot nose I 4 which holds the neck II to the desired internal diameter for connection to a fitting.

After the first spinning operation fa first screen '2' assembly l6 (as seen in Fig. '3) is inserted. screen has a peripheral annular flange l1 and a fine mesh screen l8 bonded thereto. Peripheral flange I! is of such diameter that it firmly engages thewall of the cylinder and it is inserted in the container until it comes against the necked-down portion thereof.

The next step in the formation of the unit is shown in Fig. 5 wherein a measured quantity of dehydrating material such as calcium chloride or silica gel, indicated at G, is placed in the container against the first screen l6. Next, a second screen assembly I9 is slipped into place against the dehydrating material, which screen has a peripheral flange 2| and a screen element 22 bonded thereto.

The amount of dehydrating material and the dimensions of the second screen are carefully chosen so that when (as seen in Fig. 6) the as sociated end of the container is spun or neckeddown a novel action takes place. For example, the spinning tool 23 may be a duplicate of that just described, and includes a concavity 24 and a pilot nose 26. When relative rotation between the tool and sleeve is efiected, a second neck 21 is formed by the concavity 24 of the tool. This spinning operation on the container simultaneously deforms the peripheral sleeve 28 of the screen IS, the action being such that the screen I9 is urged toward the other screen [6. Thus. with the proper amount of dehydrating material having been placed between the screens, the necking-down operation packs the dehydrating material to the desired degree.

Thus, it can be seen thata container having two screens with a dehydrating material therebetween can be quickly and economically formed by two simple, rapid spinning operations, there being the additional advantage that a suitable predetermined degree of packing or compression of the dehydrating material may be provided.

Having completed a detailed description of our invention so that other skilled in the art may practice the same, we contemplate that the appended claims and not the aforesaid embodiment be determinative of the scope of our invention.

What is claimed is:

l. The method of making a dehydrator comprising the steps of fastening a screen in a container having an open mouth, placing a dehydrating agent in the container and against the screen, placing a second screen having a pcspinning the mouth of said container around and axially outwardly of said screen to form a neck thereon with the metal at the larger diameter zone of the neck deforming the flange on said second screen to move the screen relative to the container causing it to press against said dehydrating material.

2. The method of making a dehydrator comprising the steps of necking down one end of a cylindrical container, pressing a circular screen into said container against said necked-down portion, placing a dehydrating agent in the container and against said screen, placing a second screen having a peripheral flange in the mouth of said container and against said dehydrating material, and simultaneousl necking down the mouth of said container around and axially out-V wardly of said screen to form a neck thereon and causing the metal at the larger diameter zone 4 of said container, placing loose material in said container against said retainer, placing a second material retainer in said container positioned against said material, and deforming said walls inwardly progressively from a point outwardly of said second retainer toward said second retainer forming inclined converging walls, a portion of said second retainer being engaged by said converging walls thereby creating an axial force on said retainer, said axial force causing said second retainer to move toward said material.

JOHN D. BALDWIN, JR. JOHN E. SZITAR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 392,133 Peck Oct. 30, 1888 1,084,115 Slick Jan. 13, 1914 1,804,284 Smith May 5; 1931 2,225,758 Stein Dec. 24, 1940 2,325,522 Lauer et a1. July 27, 1943 2,323,160 Stecher et a1 June 29, 1943 2,522,439 Feurer Sept. 12', 1950 

